Hunger hurts every day of the year. Our outpouring of generous giving to the hungry is inspiring. We are a charitable people.

But charity cannot solve the problem of hunger in America. Sufficient food for every person is not just a matter of charity. It is an issue of justice. Every man, woman and child has a right to food. Our founding documents declares we all have an unalienable right to life and there can be no life without food. One of the four freedoms for which we fought World War II is freedom from want.

America must adopt a comprehensive national initiative to make the right to food a priority. Millions of Americans through no fault of their own are unemployed or underemployed.

As a first step, we should mandate a living wage, not a minimum wage. A full-time minimum wage worker nets less than $14,000 a year to feed, pay rent, utilities, medical expenses and insurance for his family. Many employers will hire only part-time workers. A living wage would provide a hand up rather than a hand out and boost the economy.